People from ethnic minorities may find it easier to integrate into Welsh communities than they would over the border in England, the head of the Commission for Race Equality, Trevor Phillips said today.

"I think it may be rather easier for people to be Asian and Welsh or Black and Welsh than Asian and English or Black and English."

"The Welsh have always identified with two things, with being a minority and not being English."

He said that the legacy of former dockland communities like the old Tiger Bay in Cardiff meant that the contribution made by ethnic communities was part of the Welsh identity.

"South Wales has had a substantial migration community for many many years. In fact Bristol, south Wales and Liverpool, even more than London, have settled migrant communities that I would like to see everywhere else."

Mr Phillips was speaking in Cardiff ahead of the launch of the National Assembly's new Race Equality Scheme.

He praised the policy saying that it addresses, "all of the issues that might cause racial bias", but added that the success of the scheme lay in the implementation.

"The Assembly has to give the rest of Wales leadership. They worked very hard on this and they have come up with a scheme which we think is a policy that should be taken into account by everyone else."

He said that Wales faced "special circumstances" in tackling racial equality issues.

"One of the obvious ones is the relationship between racial equality and the Welsh identity and Welsh language."

He said that as long as provision was made for people to learn Welsh, "I see no reason why those who aren't from Welsh stock can't feel proud of being Welsh."

He added that while Cardiff was "demographically like the rest of England, Wales has a very large rural population where people from ethnic minorities are spread pretty thinly."

Provision of services and support for those communities as well as tackling the presence of the Far Right in parts of Wales topped the CRE's list of priorities in the principality, he said.

Speaking at the launch of the Assembly's new policy First Minister Rhodri Morgan said that the scheme, which comes into force on April 1, would set a gold standard for promoting good race relations.

He said: "We attach great importance to promoting race equality and tackling racism head on.

"The Race Equality Scheme sets out our commitment to promote these values -and to becoming an exemplar public authority in Wales, and to developing long-term positive change.

"Modern Wales is built on a foundation of welcoming people from different ethnic backgrounds. This is something we should celebrate because that was one more reason for Wales' great leap forward from obscure backwater to major economic power in the 19th Century.

"I firmly believe our continually changing, diverse society will make a major contribution to 21st Century Wales," he added.

At the launch Mr Phillips said: "What we are launching today is part of the Assembly's core business improving circumstances for all the people it represents and serves. Both the Assembly and the Welsh Assembly Government have taken a strong stance against racism and in favour of equality. That is as it should be in one of the premier countries of immigration and diversity in the modern world. You have an aspiration to welcome strangers as strong as that 27-year itch to gain the Grand Slam."